Ignoring the Facts The writer sucks: Tim Elfrink’s December 18 piece “Black October” is a one-sided and misleading characterization of the events of 2003 in Bolivia. The deaths and injuries associated with these events were indeed tragic and regrettable, but Mr. Elfrink’s effort to blame all of this on the…
Laguna Beach was a vapid show I did not care to watch. It begat The Hills which is a vapid show I do not care to watch. Now, The Hills begat The City which is probably a vapid show I will not care to watch. But, what’s this? Intrigue! Perhaps I…
UltrachicUltrachic (Self-released)www.myspace.com/ultrachicUltrachic stand on a weird crossroad bridge where they sonically span the golden years of Venezuelan rock (Sentimiento Muerto, Dermis Tatu, Desorden Público) with the newer bloods who continue to make the racket (Zapato 3, Los Amigos Invisibles, Caramelos de Cianuro). The funny thing is, Ultrachic bass player Luis…
To read past installments of Miami According to Brooklyn, click here. Most of these guys who hang out in this club scene crap have no respect for women whatsoever. They’re just out trying to get their dick wet, which is horrible. I see it every day. Women should be treated…
Today, the last day of 2008, Banana Republican highlights his ten favorite news stories of the year, the tales that truly capture life in a sun-drenched, third-world dimension. 10. Marc Sarnoff’s Memo to Himself. The Coconut Grove loving city commissioner has a super secret meeting with Joe Arriola at which…
¡Feliz Navidad, Miami! As I sit by my Christmas tree and look upon the disco ball ornaments as they glitter and shine, I stroll through my holiday memory lane.This is the time of year that I eat tons of lechon, yuca, and arroz con frijoles. I have no idea what…
Bolivia: The Lost Frontier Evo sucks: Even though Tim Elfrink’s December 18 cover story, “Black October,” was beautifully written, I’m disappointed that the egotism and thirst for revenge of a man as ignorant and power-hungry as Bolivia’s current president, Evo Morales, has blinded even an educated audience. People should know…
A snow angel of a girl — pretty, brunette, and fair — stands on a stage in hoochie stilettos and a sky-blue thong with ribbonlike straps that knot at her hips. The lighted floor below her shifts in color every few seconds, providing a much-needed glow to BT’s Gentlemen’s Club…
To read past installments of Miami According to Brooklyn, click here. Since I’ve lived and worked in both Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, I want to talk about the differences between the scenes, and also just getting around in each place. First off as far as Ft. Lauderdale goes, transportation sucks…
To get an introduction to Jose El Rey (if you actually need one!) and to read last week’s installment of his weekly Crossfade column, Que Pasa, M.I.A?, click here. Maybe it’s my moustache. Maybe it’s the gel in my hair. Perhaps, and most likely, it’s the manner in which I…
Ugliness or Fact He just wants to inform the haters: On December 11, Altaf Ali, executive director of the Florida Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), was quoted in Miami New Times denouncing the award-winning documentary Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West. As the producer of this…
The year’s 10 best shows of the year? I’m sick of that shit. The top 10 albums? Tired. Finest songs? Forget about it. Here are my faves in the categories that music nerds probably won’t list this season. With a bonus: They were all onstage. Best Virgin Live Appearance: Tie…
E! is apparently creating a new show that celebrates the sanctity of traditional divorce, and guess what? According to Changing Channels, the show’s producers are seeking local divorced ladies to star in this sure-to-be Peabody-winning program. Apparently it’s less The Sad Divorcees of South Beach and more My Super Sweet…
To read past installments of Miami According to Brooklyn (and to find out who, exactly, guest columnist Brooklyn is), click here. I want to talk about the homeless in downtown around the clubs and how fucking annoying they are. I’m so sick and tired of the begging and everything else…
When Manu Chao released his landmark album, Clandestino, in 1998, it was regarded as an instant classic by most people who heard it. The 16-track disc was a funky underground pop album aimed right at the cultural left (and bourgeois right) of Spain, France, South America and Mexico all at…
At yesterday’s Miami City Commission meeting, a small group of neighborhood preservationists came prepared to do in Eric Silverman, owner of the Vagabond Motel on Biscayne Boulevard in the Upper Eastside. Members of the MiMo Biscayne Association and residents railed against Silverman’s use of his property for an open-air farmer’s…
José el Rey is a singer, dancer and jumper. What he feels and what he thinks is completely the truth to him. And his mom. His truths were developed while basking in the Miami sun while listening to “Diamond Girl” and Gucci Crew tapes.¡Ta mala la cosa! All day, every…
Come January, expect to see a new dynamic take shape on the Miami-Dade County Commission when Dennis Moss becomes chairman. For one, Natacha Seijas will no longer have influence over the selection of committee chairs and assignments. Each of the last three commission chairs, from Barbara Carey-Shuler to Joe Martinez to…
Crazy Like a Condo A smokin’ condo: I enjoyed Gus Garcia-Roberts’s December 4 article about the $6 million condo, “Recession Special,” featuring Sildy Cervera, a real estate agent and specialist in “pump[ing] you for all sorts of information” — mostly info that will direct her to pumping your wallet bone-dry…
Aaron is a boyishly handsome and topless twentysomething in tight white silver-fringed pants, suspenders, body glitter, and an extravagantly feathered Spartan helmet. “Zeus was a slut,” he says while standing in one of the swirly, manicured gardens of Vizcaya (3251 S. Miami Ave., Miami). “But he was still a leader.”…
Last week, we introduced you to Crossfade’s latest weekly guest columnist, Brooklyn, the day manager and occasional night-time gatekeeper at the Vagabond. To read a longer introduction about who he is, click here to check out last week’s premiere installment of Miami According to Brooklyn.To the person who left that…
Soon-to-be-displaced County Commission Chairman Bruno Barreiro is no friend of the environment. The former state representative led the charge to allow developers to build beyond the county’s imaginary line that stops construction from encroaching on the Everglades and environmentally sensitive lands. He is pushing for a rewrite of Miami-Dade’s manatee…
